Petition to honour the bravery of Australian cave diving heroes

13/07/2018

3AW Mornings

A petition to honour the bravery of Australia’s expert cave diving duo has gained more than 30,000 signatures online.

Dr Richard Harris, the last rescuer to leave the cave on the final day of the mission, spent three days in and out of the caves, assessing whether the boys trapped underground were fit enough to make the perilous journey to safety.

He was accompanied by his long-time dive buddy and Perth vet, Craig Challen, whose expertise played a pivotal role in negotiating the complex cave system to assist in the rescue of the Thai boys and their coach.

A petition is being circulated calling on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to nominate the pair for the Cross of Valour.

NSW man Matthew Irvine, who started the petition, said their efforts were “superhero”.

“I think these gentlemen both deserve the Australian award for the Cross of Valour, our highest possible bravery decoration.

“Only five of these awards have been issued since 1975, these two men fit the bill.

“The wording of the award, it is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril, meaning there is a very real chance that the person undertaking the action could lose their own life.”